Braintree lawyer calls impersonation charge against client 'silly'

Braintree attorney Russell Matson says the owner of a Maserati charged with impersonating a police officer “never pretended to be a cop” and decorated his car to look like a robot character from a Transformers movie.

That’s how the attorney for a Maserati owner described the citation his client got in Braintree three weeks ago, for what police say was painting his car to look like a police cruiser.

Braintree attorney Russell Matson said Thursday that the Maserati owner – a town resident he declined to identify – “never pretended to be a cop,” and told police in advance that he was going to decorate his car to look like a robot character from a Transformers movie.

“In no way, shape or form does this seem like a crime,” Matson said.

His comments were the first on behalf of the car’s owner since he was pulled over on Washington Street on Aug. 9. Braintree Police Chief Russell Jenkins couldn’t be reached for a response to Matson’s calling the case “silly.”

Patrol officers stopped the 2010 Gran Turismo in Braintree Square and summoned the driver for impersonating a police officer. The driver wasn’t ticketed for speeding or other traffic violations.

He’ll be at Quincy District Court on Sept. 4 for a clerk magistrate hearing. The magistrate can dismiss the charge or decide there’s enough evidence for a formal criminal complaint and arraignment.

Matson said the owner is a University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduate in his 20s. He said the owner is a Transformers fan, so he had the car “dipped” with a removable rubber spray to look like the movie character Barricade.

Such treatments can cost $600 or more. Matson said the owner had the car sprayed a couple of weeks before Braintree officers stopped him.

“It wasn’t his plan to do this long term,” Matson said. “He had no expectation this (charge) would happen.”

Matson said the owner plans to remove the decorations, but not until after he drives the care to the magistrate hearing.

He said the owner bought the car in May and had it sprayed in solid, bright colors a couple of times before he chose the more elaborate Transformers decorations, which include police-style door shields, 911, K-9 and speed enforcement decals and the door slogan “Decepticons punish and enslave,” rather than the police motto “serve and protect.”

Matson noted that the Maserati owner didn’t put police-style blue lights on the car, so he didn’t pretend to pull over other drivers or otherwise act like an officer. Matson also said “he’s gotten compliments from police in other jurisdictions,” rather than warnings.

“Guys in their 20s sometimes trick out their cars for fun,” he said. “I don’t think he’s even had a speeding ticket. All he’s doing (the day he was cited) is driving down the street.”

Page 2 of 2 - As for tricking out a sports car that sells for $70,000 used, Matson said, “His wife has asked him the same question.”

Reach Lane Lambert at llambert@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @LLambert_Ledger.